Sanders introduces bill to ban fracking

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) this week introduced a bill that aims to ban hydraulic fracking. 

The bill was introduced on Tuesday and is titled “a bill to ban the practice of hydraulic fracturing, and for other purposes,” according to the Library of Congress, though the text of the legislation was not available on the site. 

Sanders has called for a ban on fracking while campaigning for the Democratic presidential nomination, as has Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). 

Sanders tweeted about the bill, which he said was also worked on by Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Darren Soto (D-Fla.) on Thursday. Merkley was listed as a co-sponsor. 

The tweet included a video of actor Mark Ruffalo talking about a potential federal ban fracking. 

“Mark Ruffalo just spoiled Bernie and AOC’s bill to ban fracking,” the video said. 

I don’t mind if @MarkRuffalo spoils his own movies. But please, don’t ruin the surprise of our new legislation with Rep. @AOC, @SenJeffMerkley and @RepDarrenSoto.

I don’t want the dirty fracking industry CEOs to know what hit them. pic.twitter.com/OBbQnpOHsy

— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) January 30, 2020

However, the announcement of the bill drew criticism from those in the oil industry.

“Banning a safe, successful method of developing energy would erase a generation of American energy progress and in the process destroy millions of U.S. jobs, spike household energy costs and hurt farmers and manufacturers,” said Bethany Aronhalt, American Petroleum Institute spokeswoman. 

Updated: 6:09 p.m.